Thursday, June 2, 2011

the use of English to teach Filipino

It is a fact that most students know English better than they know their national language Filipino. Ask the students themselves. Make a study and find out what they think of Filipino subjects. THEY HATE THEM! That is why most of our very own Filipino students hit rock-bottom grades in a subject they are supposed to know. So what is happening? First off, it is how the subject is taught. Lamentably, teachers teaching the subject teach it in PURE FILIPINO. Are you kidding me? Why? Not all students are from Manila! Visayans do not speak Tagalog or Filipino and it is hard to fathom why Visayan teachers insist in teaching the subject purely in Filipino. Just imagine any Visayan student listening to a Filipino teacher lecturing,"Ang mga uri ng pandiwa ay ang pangkasalukuyan, pangnagdaan, at panghinaharap." Whaaaat? Filipino teachers should know better. They should be trained how to teach a subject that sounds like French to most students. Whose fault is it? English happens to be our medium of instruction and students are more exposed to this language more than their own. And fyi, students will be able to use the global language more when they go out into the real world to look for work. So what's the big deal about making the students adept at our own national language? Okay, so we want them to know our very own national language, but you better teach the subject the right way!

Since the students know and understand English more, Filipino teachers should use this as a tool or means to teach Filipino, a subject now hated by many students who struggle to learn it. Teachers teaching Filipino should use their COMMON SENSE. Teach Filipino alongside English. Explain difficulties in English. When you talk about SIMUNO for instance, give the equivalent of the word in English and give loads of examples in both Filipino and English.

Stop talking French in your Filipino subjects, ma'am, if you want the students to learn. Our students hate your subject already, so please, MAKE THEM LEARN the subject so that at least they will be able to speak it the simplest possible way.